Sonko rolls out Sh7bn affordable homes plan

Counties

Sonko rolls out Sh7bn affordable homes plan

Thursday, March 14, 2019 22:00

By COLLINS OMULO

Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko. FILE PHOTO | NMG

Nairobi County has launched the construction of a Sh7 billion public residential apartments in Ngara Estate.

The project, River Bank apartments, will see construction of 3,000 units comprising eight blocks of 34 storeys for low and middle income earners in line with the national government’s promise to provide affordable housing for all Kenyans.

The project, which is being undertaken by Erdemann Property Limited, is set to be completed in less than one and a half years.

Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko said his government and county assembly had approved construction of more than 200,000 affordable residential houses for the middle and low income earners.

“To speedily achieve this, we have completely waived the building approval fees. We also want to engage contractors who will use local building materials and employ local youths,” said Mr Sonko during the ground-breaking of the project on Wednesday.

Erdemann Property Managing Director Zeyun Yang said each block of the highrise apartments, financed jointly by the national and county governments, will have 340 units in all the eight blocks, three lifts on every block from the basement to the top floor as well as two stairways on every floor.

“We are going to construct a multi-billion shilling gated community, an ultra-modern residential estate with a perimeter wall and street lighting. It will be easily accessible by both public and private transport as the roads will be cabro-paved by us,” said Mr Yang.

Other features of the units are fire assembly points, spacious car parking, lounges and open kitchen designs, inbuilt wardrobes, commercial units, sufficient water supplies with underground water reservoirs, back-up electric generators and internet fibre connection.

“These are going to be the first of the government’s pledged affordable housing for all Kenyans. Nairobi County is the first county to break ground to start construction,” he said.

He added that compensation for traders who were occupying the more than ten acres of land next to Nairobi River has been completed.